‘It’s going, it’s ...’: Queensland rocket meets fiery end, exploding on launch

The first Australian-designed and manufactured rocket has barely made it past the launch tower, exploding on liftoff near Bowen in north Queensland.

Gilmour Space’s rocket, the 23-metre, 30-tonne Eris 1, lifted off shortly after 8.30am on Wednesday, and was airborne for about 14 seconds.

YouTuber Josh Keegan, also known as Aussienaut, filmed footage of the explosion from a vantage point on nearby Mount Nutt.

“OK, we’re going, we’re going ... it’s going,” Keegan commentated as the rocket took off from its launch-pad.

Within seconds, it was clear its momentum had faltered. “It’s hovering, it’s hovering,” Keegan continued. “It’s gone. Oh, no. It didn’t go.”

Michelle Gilmour, the company’s director of marketing and communications, could barely be heard over the din of celebration at the company’s base.

Before the test-flight, Gilmour Space had set a target of simply getting off the launch-pad.

“We’re happy, all considered. We know what happened. Unfortunately it was an old rocket – it’s been sitting on the pad for 18 months. So this was always likely. But this is good.”

In a later statement, the company celebrated the launch as a major milestone, achieved with no injuries and no adverse environmental impacts.

“Space is hard,” chief executive Adam Gilmour said. “SpaceX, Rocket Lab and others needed multiple test flights to reach orbit. We’ve learned a tremendous amount that will go directly into improving our next vehicle, which is already in production.

Adam Gilmour said his company had learned a tremendous amount from the launch.Credit: Ben Searcy Photograohy

“Getting off the pad and into flight is a huge step forward for any new rocket program. This was the first real test of our rocket systems, our propulsion technology, and our spaceport – and it proved that much of what we’ve built works.”

Wednesday’s test flight represented the culmination of years of effort from a 200-strong team, more than 500 Australian suppliers, and support from government and industry, Gilmour Space said.

Another test flight is planned within months. Eventually, the company hoped to provide low-cost, responsive launch services for small satellites, which it said were in growing demand globally.

“Only six nations currently launch to orbit regularly – and just a handful are developing sovereign capability to join them,” Adam Gilmour said.

“We’ve now taken a big step toward joining that group.”

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